Coffee supply shortage may become very acute

A shortage of coffee may become "acute" because stock levels are low and disease, weather and blocked roads in Colombia are curbing supply, Macquarie Group Ltd. said in a report distributed today.

"As we go into the 2011 season with historically low world stock levels, and with Brazil entering its lower yielding year of its biennial cycle, we fear that the global coffee supply shortfall will become very acute indeed," the bank said in the report.